Towards a compact spherical tokamak fusion pilot plant.

The question of size of a tokamak fusion reactor is central to current fusion research especially with the large device, ITER, under construction and even larger DEMO reactors under initial engineering design. In this paper, the question of size is addressed initially from a physics perspective. It is shown that in addition to size, field and plasma shape are important too, and shape can be a significant factor.

Exploring Skills-Based Competencies Through Geriatric Care Management Modules.

As educational competencies in gerontology continue to evolve, skills-based competencies (from beginner to expert level) endure as the hallmarks of the field. This study explored the impact of exposure to "active learning" modules for the practice of professional geriatric care management (GCM) on beginning gerontology students and their ability to acquire core knowledge and more advanced skills related to assessment and counseling community-based older adults. Working with a group of "nontraditional" students, many having previous caregiving experience and working with older adults in direct care and allied health care roles, evaluation of these modules show that early exposure to "advanced" professional practice can be an effective approach for introducing higher-level competencies to beginning gerontology students.

Diagnostic components in harsh radiation environments: possible overlap in R&D requirements of inertial confinement and magnetic fusion systems.

The next generation of large scale fusion devices--ITER/LMJ/NIF--will require diagnostic components to operate in environments far more severe than those encountered in present facilities. This harsh environment is the result of high fluxes of neutrons, gamma rays, energetic ions, electromagnetic radiation, and in some cases, debris and shrapnel, at levels several orders of magnitude higher than those experienced in today's devices. The similarities and dissimilarities between environmental effects on diagnostic components for the inertial confinement and magnetic confinement fusion fields have been assessed.

The Columbia Cooperative Aging Program: an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental approach to geriatric education for medical interns.

Although there is a critical need to prepare physicians to care for the growing population of older adults, many academic medical centers lack the geriatric-trained faculty and dedicated resources needed to support comprehensive residency training programs in geriatrics. Because of this challenge at Columbia University, the Columbia Cooperative Aging Program was developed to foster geriatric training for medical interns. For approximately 60 interns each year completing their month-long geriatric rotations, an integral part of this training now involves conducting comprehensive assessments with "well" older people, supervised by an interdisciplinary team of preceptors from various disciplines, including cardiology, internal medicine, occupational therapy, geriatric nursing, psychiatry, education, public health, social work, and medical anthropology.